Costa Rica Itinerary Inspo – Here’s What I’ve Got Planned

What do you even do with yourself the night before you’re about to go on one of the most exciting trips of your life? I’ve spent most of the day sorting out all my work so I can actually relax during my trip. My brain is fried – but the reality that I’m jetting off in one sleep is sinking in. Hurahh, adventure awaits.

I thought you lovely people might want to know what I’m going to get up to in Costa Rica. And, well, if you don’t, I recommend you disappear off to another corner of the internet right about now. Coz I’m about to delve into our jam packed itinerary and reveal some of the best places to stay and things to see in Costa Rica.

Of course we’ve got a very specific focus on our trip – we’re off to see if mighty Costa Rica really does deserve it’s Eco Travel crown (read all about this here). So our itinerary is tailored around eco travel, nature and learning about sustainable practices. But no matter what sort of holiday you’re after in Costa Rica, the chances are you’ll be able to take something helpful away from our plans.

I’ve been writing for Eco Companion for a few years now, I’m loving being an official EC journalist and being part of something so powerful and important. Plus, it has delivered this magnificent opportunity to my doorstep. I’m going with the founder Max Sinclair, and videographer and wildlife photographer Andy Trace – and we’re hopefully gonna have an absolute hoot. When you’re exploring rainforests, volcanoes, serene beaches and one of the most bio diverse spots on the planet, it’s kinda hard not to have an awesome time.

So, without any further ado – here are our current travel plans and some ideas of what to do and where to visit in charming Costa Rica.

Our Costa Rica Itinerary…

We will be driving across the country as this is going to be the best way to get to all the spots we want to visit, and film a load of cool stuff on the way. We fly to Liberia airport in Guanacaste Province. We will then drive two hours to El Establo Mountain Hotel. It’s a majestic hotel set amongst a mesmerising cloud forest within the mountains. You can’t get much closer to nature than that. The name of the hotel actually means stables, because about 25 years ago the land here was used by cattle farmers. Now it has been transformed into an eco friendly hotel.

Next up we’ll go on a longer drive to the Studio Hotel in San Jose. I’m particularly looking forward to dipping my tired toes in the chic rooftop swimming pool and crash in the enormous king sized beds. Oh and try 30 international wines on offer of course.

I’ve heard fab things about the vibe in San Jose and I’m keen to explore this cool city and get a feel for the cultural side of Costa Rica. The city has plenty of museums and art galleries dotted around.

The next stop on our adventure will take us to Selva Bananito Lodge in the Limon Province. This is more rustic style accommodation that’s surrounded by nature and there’s a big focus on conservation. For example, the bathrooms here use solar heated water and the cabins have been constructed using salvaged wood. The hammocks on the decks here look lush, I will defo be taking a nap in one of these whilst listening to the sounds of the rainforest.

Perhaps one of things I’m most looking forward to on this trip is visiting the Sloth Sanctuary to meet some of the coolest creatures on earth. Don’t you just love sloths? I’d like to take a page out of their book and start enjoying life at a much slower pace. We’ll get to learn all about them on a special private tour of the sanctuary.

The next phase of our trip will involve driving four hours to Poas Volcano in Poas Volcano National Park, and then moving on to the Osa Peninsula. This place is the epicentre of diverse wildlife in Costa Rica. In fact, Osa harbors 2.5% of the biodiversity of the entire planet in less than a thousandth of a percent of its total surface area.

During this part of our trip we will be staying at Osa Conservation where I’m sure we’ll learn a huge amount about what makes the local area so special, and what important conservation projects they’ve got on at the moment.

After a few days at Osa we will travel three hours to Gaia Hotel & Reserve, a plush boutique hotel. Head to their website and check out their wicked multi level infinity pool, it’s the stuff of dreams. I’m sooo happy we’ve got a spa treatment here, after lots of travelling around a back and neck massage will defo go down well.

And last but certainly not least, we’ll stop off at  Hotel Bosque Del Mar for a few nights and end our trip chilling out. This gorgeous hotel has the benefit of being both by the sea and within reach of the jungle. Now that’s a winning combination.

If you’re interested in staying at any of these hotels, keep an eye out for my review following my trip. The Hotel Bosque Del Mar is our last stop, after that we head back to the airport and make our way home. Check out my Instagram account for updates and pictures of all the hotels and our adventures. See you in a few weeks!